Program switching device and method

Claim 2

A program switching apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving a signal of a broadcast program; static image output means for freezing and temporarily outputting as a static image an image of said broadcast program; a switcher for selectively switching between an output of said receiving means and an output of said static image output means; control means for controlling said switcher, said static image output means and said receiving means so as to output said static image for a predetermined duration, after which the output of said static image is switched to said broadcast program signal received by said receiving means; selection screen output means for selecting and displaying a selection screen having button icons corresponding to a plurality of programs as a window superimposed on said image of said broadcast program; and operating means for moving a cursor among said button icons on said selection screen and for selecting a program designated by said cursor, wherein said control means controls said receiving means to receive a program designated by said cursor while said cursor is moved on said selection screen by said operating means before a program is selected by said operating means, thereby receiving said program designated by said cursor before said program is selected for quickly switching to said selected program.

Claim 3

The program switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said control means controls completion of a receiving processing of said broadcast program by said receiving means when the switching of said received program is instructed, and wherein said control means controls said static image output means for switching the output of said static image after the receiving processing of said broadcast program is completed.

Claim 4

The program switching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying an image of said broadcast program received by said receiving means.

Claim 5

The program switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operating means is an up down button for incrementing and decrementing the channel of said program.

Claim 6

The program switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operating means is a numeric keypad for inputting a channel number of said program.

Claim 7

The program switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said operating means comprises a cursor moving means for moving said cursor, and button icon selection means for selecting a button icon designated by said cursor.

Claim 8

The program switching apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said cursor moving means and said button icon selection means can be operated with one finger.

Claim 9

A program switching apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving a signal of a broadcast program; static image output means for freezing and temporarily outputting as a static image an image of said broadcast program; a switcher for selectively switching between the output of said receiving means and said static image output means; control means for controlling said switcher, said static image output means and said receiving means so as to output said static image for a predetermined duration, after which the output of said static image is switched to said broadcast program signal received by said receiving means; selection screen output means for selecting and displaying a selection screen having button icons corresponding to a plurality of programs as a window superimposed on said image of said broadcast program; and operating means for moving a cursor among said button icons on said selection screen and for selecting a program designated by said cursor, wherein said control means controls said receiving means to receive a program designated by said cursor while said cursor is moved on said selection screen by said operating means before a program is selected by said operating means, thereby receiving said program designated by said cursor before said program is selected for quickly making the switching to said selected program, and further wherein said static image output means mutes a sound signal when said static image is output, and said static image output means relieves the mute of said sound signal when said static image output is relieved.

Claim 10

A program switching apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving a signal of a broadcast program; static image output means for freezing and temporarily outputting as a static image an image of said broadcast program; a switcher for selectively switching between the output of said receiving means and said static image output means; control means for controlling said switcher, said static image output means and said receiving means so as to output said static image for a predetermined duration, after which the output of said static image is switched to said broadcast program signal received by said receiving means; selection screen output means for selecting and displaying a selection screen having button icons corresponding to a plurality of programs as a window superimposed on said image of said broadcast program; and operating means for moving a cursor among said button icons on said selection screen and for selecting a program designated by said cursor, wherein said control means controls said receiving means to receive a program designated by said cursor while said cursor is moved on said selection screen by said operating means before a program is selected by said operating means, thereby receiving said program designated by said cursor before said program is selected for quickly making the switching to said selected program, and further wherein said static image output means mutes a sound signal when said static image is output, and said static image output means relieves the mute of said sound signal when said static image output is relieved.

Claim 11

A program switching apparatus for use in a digital television receiver, comprising: receiving means for receiving a signal of a broadcast program; static image output means for freezing and outputting as a static image an image of said broadcast program; switching means for selectively switching between the output of said receiving means and said static image output means; control means for controlling said switching means, said static image output means and said receiving means so as to output said static image for a predetermined duration, after which the output of said static image is switched to said broadcast program signal received by said receiving means; selection window output means for selecting and displaying a program selection window having icons corresponding to a plurality of programs superimposed on said image of said broadcast program; and cursor moving means for moving a cursor among said icons on said selection window and for selecting a program designated by said cursor, wherein said control means controls said receiving means to receive a program designated by said cursor while said cursor is moved on said selection window by said cursor moving means before a program is selected by said cursor moving means, thereby receiving said program designated by said cursor before said program is selected for quickly making the switching to said selected program.

Claim 12

A program switching apparatus for use in a digital television receiver, comprising: receiving means for receiving a signal of a broadcast program; static image output means for freezing and outputting as a static image an image of said broadcast program; switching means for selectively switching between the output of said receiving means and said static image output means; control means for controlling said switching means, said static image output means and said receiving means so as to output said static image for a predetermined duration, after which the output of said static image is switched to said broadcast program signal received by said receiving means; selection window output means for selecting and displaying a program selection window having icons corresponding to a plurality of programs superimposed on said image of said broadcast program; and cursor moving means for moving a cursor among said icons on said selection window and for selecting a program designated by said cursor, wherein said control means controls said receiving means to receive a program designated by said cursor while said cursor is moved on said selection window by said cursor moving means before a program is selected by said cursor moving means, thereby receiving said program designated by said cursor before said program is selected for quickly making the switching to said selected program.

Claim 13

A television signal receiver for receiving a television signal for a desired channel program and outputting the received signal on a display as an image, said receiver comprising: receiving means for receiving said television signal; selection screen output means for displaying a selection screen on said display by producing a selection screen signal, wherein said selection screen is used to select a desired program out of a plurality of programs by moving a cursor on said selection screen; cursor moving means for moving said cursor on said selection screen; selection means for selecting a program designated by said cursor for display on said display; and control means for controlling said receiving means to receive the program designated by said cursor while said cursor is moved by said cursor moving means before said selection means is operated, thereby receiving said program designated by said cursor before said program is selected by said selection means for quickly making program changing, wherein said selection screen uses a window superimposed on said image received by said receiving means for displaying said plurality of programs when said selection screen output means is operated.

Claim 14

A television signal receiver for receiving a television signal for a desired channel program and outputting the received signal on a display as an image, said receiver comprising: receiving means for receiving said television signal; selection screen output means for displaying a selection screen on said display by producing a selection screen signal, wherein said selection screen is used to select a desired program out of a plurality of programs by moving a cursor on said selection screen; cursor moving means for moving said cursor on said selection screen; selection means for selecting a program designated by said cursor for display on said display; and control means for controlling said receiving means to receive the program designated by said cursor while said cursor is moved by said cursor moving means before said selection means is operated, thereby receiving said program designated by said cursor before said program is selected by said selection means for quickly making program changing, wherein said selection screen uses a window superimposed on said image received by said receiving means for displaying said plurality of programs when said selection screen output means is operated.

Claim 15

The television signal receiver according to claim 10, further comprising sound signal output means for muting a sound signal of said program designated by said cursor and received by said receiving means under the control of said control means before said selection means is operated.

Claim 16

The television signal receiver according to claim 10, wherein either one of a horizontal axis or a vertical axis of said selection screen is used a s an axis of a broadcast channel of said program while the other axis is used as a time axis with the result that button icons are arranged in a matrix for selecting said program at a position controlled by both axes.

Claim 17

The television signal receiver according to claim 12, wherein said cursor is displayed by making a predetermined button icon of a different brightness or color from that of other button icons.

Claim 18

The television signal receiver according to claim 13, further comprising memory means for memorizing information as to a display position of said button icon to be displayed on said selection screen broadcast as part of said television signal.

Claim 19

The television signal receiver according to claim 14, further comprising judging means for judging whether a fee is charged when said program designated by said cursor is received.

Claim 20

The television signal receiver according to claim 15, further comprising inhibiting means for inhibiting the receiving of said program when a fee is charged upon receipt of said program designated by said cursor.

Claim 21

The television receiver according to claim 16, wherein said receiving means comprises: demodulating means for demodulating to a carrier wave to which an individual frequency is assigned a broadcast wave and which a digital image and sound information of said channel is demultiplexed; and extracting means for extracting a signal of said channel instructed by said control means from a signal demodulated by said demodulating means; wherein said control means instructs an extraction of said predetermined channel by said extracting means when said channel is switched within said carrier wave, said control means instructing a switching of the frequency of said carrier wave to said demodulating means when said channel is switched between different carrier waves while instructing the extraction of said predetermined channel by said extracting means.

Claim 22

A television signal receiver comprising: receiving means for receiving a television signal of a predetermined channel; display means for displaying an image of a program received by said receiving means; selection screen output means for displaying a selection screen on said display means, wherein said selection screen is used to select a predetermined program out of a plurality of programs by moving a cursor on said selection screen; cursor moving means for moving said cursor on said selection screen; selection means for selecting a program designated by said cursor for display on said display means; and control means for controlling said receiving means to receive the program designated by said cursor while said cursor is moved by said cursor moving means before said selection means is operated, thereby receiving said program designated by said cursor before said program is selected by said selection means for quickly making a program change, wherein said selection screen uses a window superimposed on said image received by said receiving means for displaying said plurality of programs when said selection screen output means is operated.

Claim 23

A television signal receiver comprising: receiving means for receiving a television signal of a predetermined channel; display means for displaying an image of a program received by said receiving means; selection screen output means for displaying a selection screen on said display means, wherein said selection screen is used to select a predetermined program out of a plurality of programs by moving a cursor on said selection screen; cursor moving means for moving said cursor on said selection screen; selection means for selecting a program designated by said cursor for display on said display means; and control means for controlling said receiving means to receive the program designated by said cursor while said cursor is moved by said cursor moving means before said selection means is operated, thereby receiving said program designated by said cursor before said program is selected by said selection means for quickly making a program change, wherein said selection screen uses a window superimposed on said image received by said receiving means for displaying said plurality of programs when said selection screen output means is operated.

Claim 24

The television signal receiver according to claim 18, further comprising sound signal output means for muting a sound signal of said program designated by said cursor, said program being received by said receiving means in correspondence to the control of said control means before the operation of said selection means.

Claim 25

The television signal receiver according to claim 18, wherein either one of a horizontal axis or a vertical axis of said selection screen constitutes a broadcast channel of said program while the other axis constitutes a time axis and button icons are arranged in matrix for selecting said program at a position controlled by both axes.

Claim 26

The television signal receiver according to claim 20, wherein said cursor is displayed by making said button icons brightness or color different from a predetermined brightness and color.

Claim 27

The television signal receiver according to claim 21, further comprising memory means for memorizing information with respect to the display position of said button icon displayed on said selection screen which is broadcast as part of said television signal.

Claim 28

The television signal receiver according to claim 22, further comprising judging means for judging whether a fee is charged for receiving said program designated by said cursor.

Claim 29

The television signal receiver according to claim 23, further comprising inhibiting means for inhibiting the receiving of said program when a fee is charged for receiving said program designated by said cursor.

Claim 30

The television signal receiver according to claim 18, wherein said receiving means comprises: demodulating means for demodulating to a carrier wave to which an individual frequency is assigned a broadcast wave and which a digital image and sound information of said channel is demultiplexed; and extracting means for extracting a signal of said channel instructed by said control means from a signal demodulated by said demodulating means; wherein said control means instructs an extraction of said predetermined channel by said extracting means when said channel is switched in said same carrier wave, said control means instructing a switching of the frequency of said carrier wave to said demodulating means when said channel is switched between different carrier waves while instructing the extraction of said predetermined channel by said extracting means.